The subject of this patent application relates generally to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (“HVAC”), and more particularly to a sound dampening apparatus and associated methods of use for dampening or otherwise preventing impact noises between an HVAC air filter and the air duct cavity in which the air filter is positioned.
Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference any and all patents and published patent applications cited or referred to in this application.
By way of background, HVAC system air ducts are often constructed out of metal and typically provide a cavity adjacent to each metal air vent, with each such cavity being sized and configured for receiving an air filter. Since air filters are manufactured in a variety of sizes, it is common for a given air filter to be relatively smaller than the cavity in which it is positioned. Furthermore, when such an air filter is positioned within a relatively larger cavity of a substantially vertically facing air vent (such as a ceiling vent or floor vent), the air flowing through the air duct (and the subsequent cessation of such air flow) tends to cause the air filter to move around within the cavity. Furthermore, when the air flow is substantially upwardly directed—whether air is being drawn into a ceiling vent or expelled from a floor vent—such air flow may cause the air filter to elevate toward an upper end of the cavity; such that when the air flow ceases, gravity causes the air filter to drop back down, impacting the lower end of the cavity and creating a loud metal bang. Thus, there is a need for an apparatus capable of dampening or otherwise preventing such impact noises between an air filter and the air duct cavity in which it is positioned.
Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.